Describes how perception, thinking, emotions, and memory combine to produce cognitive appraisals and behavior. Outlines the causes, components, and management of psychological stress. Defines resilience and explain the factors that compose the ability to “bounce back” from stressful events. Lists the major components of the positive-psychology approach to increasing life satisfaction. Identifies the elements of happiness and optimism and how to apply them to increase well-being. Describes how the information in this course can be utilized to improve patient care and patient outcomes. Describes, for this course, the implications for dentistry, mental health, nursing, and other healthcare professions.

Explains the complex nature of body fat and why both too much and too little are deleterious to health. Describes how genes, eating behavior, macronutrients, physiology, microorganisms, and the environment interact to produce obesity. Outlines how the food industry’s production of hyperpalatable foods fuels sweet, fat, and salt addiction and the obesity epidemic. Identifies the most effective diets that could produce long-lasting results in weight loss. Explains strategies for maintaining successful weight loss, managing food cravings, and treating emotional overeating. Identifies the relative effectiveness of diet, exercise, medications, and surgery in maintaining weight loss. Describes how the information in this course can be utilized to improve patient care and patient outcomes. Describes, for this course, the implications for dentistry, mental health, nursing, and other healthcare professions.

Identifies metabolism and physiology of lipids and carbohydrates in health and disease as well as in the aged individual. Lists the approaches to a patient suffering from metabolic disease from the nursing, pharmacological, psychological, and physical therapy standpoints. Compares and contrast appetite suppressants and other medications that induce weight loss. Discusses the recent discoveries in neurochemistry and neuroscience of the link between behavioral pathology and metabolic disease. Compares and contrast the healthy and the potentially dangerous weight loss strategies and long-term effects of fad diets. Describes the oral health implications of metabolic disease as well as eating disorders. Describes the empiric developments in bariatric treatments, their implications for nursing practice, and behavioral therapies. Lists sources of benecial lipids and carbohydrates and methods of improvement of palatability of the healthier foods. Identifies the role of the oral microbiome, periodontal disease, and S. mutans in appetite pathology, binge eating and obesity.